Ihavebeenoccupiedwiththisstory，duringmanyworkinghoursoftwoyears。Imusthavebeenveryillemployed，ifIcouldnotleaveitsmeritsanddemeritsasawhole，toexpressthemselvesonitsbeingreadasawhole。But，asitisnotunreasonabletosupposethatImayhavehelditsthreadswithamorecontinuousattentionthananyoneelsecanhavegiventhemduringitsdesultorypublication，itisnotunreasonabletoaskthattheweavingmaybelookedatinitscompletedstate，andwiththepatternfinished。
　　IfImightofferanyapologyforsoexaggeratedafictionastheBarnaclesandtheCircumlocutionOffice，IwouldseekitinthecommonexperienceofanEnglishman，withoutpresumingtomentiontheunimportantfactofmyhavingdonethatviolencetogoodmanners，inthedaysofaRussianwar，andofaCourtofInquiryatChelsea。IfImightmakesoboldastodefendthatextravagantconception，MrMerdle，IwouldhintthatitoriginatedaftertheRailroad-shareepoch，inthetimesofacertainIrishbank，andofoneortwootherequallylaudableenterprises。IfIweretopleadanythinginmitigationofthepreposterousfancythatabaddesignwillsometimesclaimtobeagoodandanexpresslyreligiousdesign，itwouldbethecuriouscoincidencethatithasbeenbroughttoitsclimaxinthesepages，inthedaysofthepublicexaminationoflateDirectorsofaRoyalBritishBank。But，I
　　submitmyselftosufferjudgmenttogobydefaultonallthesecounts，ifneedbe，andtoaccepttheassuranceongoodauthority
　　thatnothinglikethemwaseverknowninthisland。
　　SomeofmyreadersmayhaveaninterestinbeinginformedwhetherornoanyportionsoftheMarshalseaPrisonareyetstanding。I
　　didnotknow，myself，untilthesixthofthispresentmonth，whenIwenttolook。Ifoundtheouterfrontcourtyard，oftenmentionedhere，metamorphosedintoabuttershop；andIthenalmostgaveupeverybrickofthejailforlost。Wandering，however，downacertainadjacent’AngelCourt，leadingtoBermondsey’，Icameto’MarshalseaPlace：’thehousesinwhichIrecognised，notonlyasthegreatblockoftheformerprison，butaspreservingtheroomsthataroseinmymind’s-eyewhenIbecameLittleDorrit’sbiographer。ThesmallestboyIeverconversedwith，carryingthelargestbabyIeversaw，offeredasupernaturallyintelligentexplanationofthelocalityinitsolduses，andwasverynearlycorrect。HowthisyoungNewtonforsuchIjudgehimtobecamebyhisinformation，Idon’tknow；hewasaquarterofacenturytooyoungtoknowanythingaboutitofhimself。IpointedtothewindowoftheroomwhereLittleDorritwasborn，andwhereherfatherlivedsolong，andaskedhimwhatwasthenameofthelodgerwhotenantedthatapartmentatpresent？Hesaid，’TomPythick。’
　　IaskedhimwhowasTomPythick？andhesaid，’JoePythick’suncle。’
　　Alittlefurtheron，Ifoundtheolderandsmallerwall，whichusedtoenclosethepent-upinnerprisonwherenobodywasput，exceptforceremony。But，whosoevergoesintoMarshalseaPlace，turningoutofAngelCourt，leadingtoBermondsey，willfindhisfeetontheverypaving-stonesoftheextinctMarshalseajail；willseeitsnarrowyardtotherightandtotheleft，verylittlealteredifatall，exceptthatthewallswereloweredwhentheplacegotfree；
　　willlookuponroomsinwhichthedebtorslived；andwillstandamongthecrowdingghostsofmanymiserableyears。
　　InthePrefacetoBleakHouseIremarkedthatIhadneverhadsomanyreaders。InthePrefacetoitsnextsuccessor，LittleDorrit，Ihavestilltorepeatthesamewords。Deeplysensibleoftheaffectionandconfidencethathavegrownupbetweenus，IaddtothisPreface，asIaddedtothat，Maywemeetagain!
　　SunandShadowThirtyyearsago，Marseilleslayburninginthesun，oneday。
　　AblazingsunuponafierceAugustdaywasnogreaterrarityinsouthernFrancethen，thanatanyothertime，beforeorsince。
　　EverythinginMarseilles，andaboutMarseilles，hadstaredatthefervidsky，andbeenstaredatinreturn，untilastaringhabithadbecomeuniversalthere。Strangerswerestaredoutofcountenancebystaringwhitehouses，staringwhitewalls，staringwhitestreets，staringtractsofaridroad，staringhillsfromwhichverdurewasburntaway。Theonlythingstobeseennotfixedlystaringandglaringwerethevinesdroopingundertheirloadofgrapes。Thesedidoccasionallywinkalittle，asthehotairbarelymovedtheirfaintleaves。
　　Therewasnowindtomakearippleonthefoulwaterwithintheharbour，oronthebeautifulseawithout。Thelineofdemarcationbetweenthetwocolours，blackandblue，showedthepointwhichthepureseawouldnotpass；butitlayasquietastheabominablepool，withwhichitnevermixed。Boatswithoutawningsweretoohottotouch；shipsblisteredattheirmoorings；thestonesofthequayshadnotcooled，nightorday，formonths。Hindoos，Russians，Chinese，Spaniards，Portuguese，Englishmen，Frenchmen，Genoese，Neapolitans，Venetians，Greeks，Turks，descendantsfromallthebuildersofBabel，cometotradeatMarseilles，soughttheshadealike——takingrefugeinanyhiding-placefromaseatoointenselybluetobelookedat，andaskyofpurple，setwithonegreatflamingjeweloffire。
　　Theuniversalstaremadetheeyesache。TowardsthedistantlineofItaliancoast，indeed，itwasalittlerelievedbylightcloudsofmist，slowlyrisingfromtheevaporationofthesea，butitsoftenednowhereelse。Farawaythestaringroads，deepindust，staredfromthehill-side，staredfromthehollow，staredfromtheinterminableplain。Farawaythedustyvinesoverhangingwaysidecottages，andthemonotonouswaysideavenuesofparchedtreeswithoutshade，droopedbeneaththestareofearthandsky。Sodidthehorseswithdrowsybells，inlongfilesofcarts，creepingslowlytowardstheinterior；sodidtheirrecumbentdrivers，whentheywereawake，whichrarelyhappened；sodidtheexhaustedlabourersinthefields。Everythingthatlivedorgrew，wasoppressedbytheglare；exceptthelizard，passingswiftlyoverroughstonewalls，andthecicala，chirpinghisdryhotchirp，likearattle。Theverydustwasscorchedbrown，andsomethingquiveredintheatmosphereasiftheairitselfwerepanting。
　　Blinds，shutters，curtains，awnings，wereallclosedanddrawntokeepoutthestare。Grantitbutachinkorkeyhole，anditshotinlikeawhite-hotarrow。Thechurcheswerethefreestfromit。
　　Tocomeoutofthetwilightofpillarsandarches——dreamilydottedwithwinkinglamps，dreamilypeopledwithuglyoldshadowspiouslydozing，spitting，andbegging——wastoplungeintoafieryriver，andswimforlifetotheneareststripofshade。So，withpeopleloungingandlyingwherevershadewas，withbutlittlehumoftonguesorbarkingofdogs，withoccasionaljanglingofdiscordantchurchbellsandrattlingofviciousdrums，Marseilles，afacttobestronglysmeltandtasted，laybroilinginthesunoneday。
　　InMarseillesthatdaytherewasavillainousprison。Inoneofitschambers，sorepulsiveaplacethateventheobtrusivestareblinkedatit，andleftittosuchrefuseofreflectedlightasitcouldfindforitself，weretwomen。Besidesthetwomen，anotchedanddisfiguredbench，immovablefromthewall，withadraught-boardrudelyhackeduponitwithaknife，asetofdraughts，madeofoldbuttonsandsoupbones，asetofdominoes，twomats，andtwoorthreewinebottles。Thatwasallthechamberheld，exclusiveofratsandotherunseenvermin，inadditiontotheseenvermin，thetwomen。
　　Itreceivedsuchlightasitgotthroughagratingofironbarsfashionedlikeaprettylargewindow，bymeansofwhichitcouldbealwaysinspectedfromthegloomystaircaseonwhichthegratinggave。Therewasabroadstrongledgeofstonetothisgratingwherethebottomofitwasletintothemasonry，threeorfourfeetabovetheground。Uponit，oneofthetwomenlolled，halfsittingandhalflying，withhiskneesdrawnup，andhisfeetandshouldersplantedagainsttheoppositesidesoftheaperture。Thebarswerewideenoughaparttoadmitofhisthrustinghisarmthroughtotheelbow；andsoheheldonnegligently，forhisgreaterease。
　　Aprisontaintwasoneverythingthere。Theimprisonedair，theimprisonedlight，theimprisoneddamps，theimprisonedmen，werealldeterioratedbyconfinement。Asthecaptivemenwerefadedandhaggard，sotheironwasrusty，thestonewasslimy，thewoodwasrotten，theairwasfaint，thelightwasdim。Likeawell，likeavault，likeatomb，theprisonhadnoknowledgeofthebrightnessoutside，andwouldhavekeptitspollutedatmosphereintactinoneofthespiceislandsoftheIndianocean。
　　Themanwholayontheledgeofthegratingwasevenchilled。Hejerkedhisgreatcloakmoreheavilyuponhimbyanimpatientmovementofoneshoulder，andgrowled，’TothedevilwiththisBrigandofaSunthatnevershinesinhere!’
　　Hewaswaitingtobefed，lookingsidewaysthroughthebarsthathemightseethefurtherdownthestairs，withmuchoftheexpressionofawildbeastinsimilarexpectation。Buthiseyes，tooclosetogether，werenotsonoblysetinhisheadasthoseofthekingofbeastsareinhis，andtheyweresharpratherthanbright——pointedweaponswithlittlesurfacetobetraythem。Theyhadnodepthorchange；theyglittered，andtheyopenedandshut。Sofar，andwaivingtheirusetohimself，aclockmakercouldhavemadeabetterpair。Hehadahooknose，handsomeafteritskind，buttoohighbetweentheeyesbyprobablyjustasmuchashiseyesweretooneartooneanother。Fortherest，hewaslargeandtallinframe，hadthinlips，wherehisthickmoustacheshowedthematall，andaquantityofdryhair，ofnodefinablecolour，initsshaggystate，butshotwithred。Thehandwithwhichheheldthegratingseamedalloverthebackwithuglyscratchesnewlyhealed，wasunusuallysmallandplump；wouldhavebeenunusuallywhitebutfortheprisongrime。
　　Theothermanwaslyingonthestonefloor，coveredwithacoarsebrowncoat。
　　’Getup，pig!’growledthefirst。’Don’tsleepwhenIamhungry。’
　　’It’sallone，master，’saidthepig，inasubmissivemanner，andnotwithoutcheerfulness；’IcanwakewhenIwill，IcansleepwhenIwill。It’sallthesame。’
　　Ashesaidit，herose，shookhimself，scratchedhimself，tiedhisbrowncoatlooselyroundhisneckbythesleeveshehadpreviouslyuseditasacoverlet，andsatdownuponthepavementyawning，withhisbackagainstthewalloppositetothegrating。
　　’Saywhatthehouris，’grumbledthefirstman。
　　’Themid-daybellswillring——infortyminutes。’Whenhemadethelittlepause，hehadlookedroundtheprison-room，asifforcertaininformation。
　　’Youareaclock。Howisitthatyoualwaysknow？’
　　’HowcanIsay？Ialwaysknowwhatthehouris，andwhereIam。
　　Iwasbroughtinhereatnight，andoutofaboat，butIknowwhereIam。Seehere!Marseillesharbour；’onhiskneesonthepavement，mappingitalloutwithaswarthyforefinger；’Toulonwherethegalleysare，Spainoverthere，Algiersoverthere。
　　Creepingawaytothelefthere，Nice。RoundbytheCornicetoGenoa。GenoaMoleandHarbour。QuarantineGround。Citythere；
　　terracegardensblushingwiththebelladonna。Here，PortoFino。
　　StandoutforLeghorn。OutagainforCivitaVecchia。soawayto——
　　hey!there’snoroomforNaples；’hehadgottothewallbythistime；’butit’sallone；it’sinthere!’
　　Heremainedonhisknees，lookingupathisfellow-prisonerwithalivelylookforaprison。Asunburnt，quick，lithe，littleman，thoughratherthickset。Earringsinhisbrownears，whiteteethlightinguphisgrotesquebrownface，intenselyblackhairclusteringabouthisbrownthroat，araggedredshirtopenathisbrownbreast。Loose，seaman-liketrousers，decentshoes，alongredcap，aredsashroundhiswaist，andaknifeinit。